Her Crowning Glory
by captndevil
Summary: Caroline Forbes grew up in a small town called Mystic Falls with her mother, the sheriff, but on her 18th birthday, her father shows up, claiming she's his heir to the throne, and her world is turned upside down. What will she do? And what happens when she meets the Prince her father declares she's supposed to marry?


_**so whew! here this one is. it feels like i've been wanting to write this one forever since i have a huge love for royalty!au's and the princess diaries is one of my favourite movies, ever, and it reminds me so much of my childhood, so here it is. also, it turned into something that's so not like TPD at all, so oops. i**_ _ **hope you all like this one!**_

 _ **\- shauna! xo**_

* * *

Caroline Forbes grew up in Mystic Falls, in Virgina, alongside her mother, who she's been close to pretty much all her life, and who she loves very much. Though, Liz is a sheriff, so they've bumped heads in a few places, particularly when Caroline turned thirteen and she was feeling quite rebellious. But she loves her mother, more than anything. And that's pretty much all she can remember. It's all she's ever known, and honestly, it's all she's ever wanted.

They may not have much money, but they live comfortably, and it's nice, just the two of them. The way it's always been, and Caroline had assumed that's the way it would always be.

So, imagine Caroline's surprise when her world is turned upside down on her eighteenth birthday, when her apparently biological father decides to show up, with multiple men on his flanks, and a woman's arm wrapped tightly into the crook of his elbow. She looked nice, pretty enough. Caroline thought she looked to be in her early thirties, with long blonde hair, curled in ringlets.

Caroline, however, doesn't recognise any of them, when she opens the front door, so she plasters a fake smile on her face, even as her eyes widen.

"Can I help you?" she asks politely, her arms dropping loosely by her sides.

A older man steps forward in front of the man in the centre, a dark look on his face, but he suddenly hesitates when a hand appears on his shoulder.

"That is enough, Louie," a deep voice speaks up, before the man steps backward, with a bow to his head.

Caroline sees a few men step back, and the next thing she knows they've disappeared from her sight, as well as the woman, who bows out gracefully with a quick peck to the man's cheek, his lips pressing together at the action.

Caroline is still confused as hell, and her fingers grip tightly around the door handle, held firmly in her hands. Honestly, she so should have carried her phone with her to the door, because she has a pretty damn good feeling that she'll be on the phone with the police tonight, because this is so beyond creepy, and the man looks old enough to be her senior, but he's smiling happily down at her.

"Caroline," he breathes out.

Caroline's eyebrows rocket up.

"Um, do I know you?" she asks, biting on her bottom lip.

He nods, almost instantly, and he takes a step forward.

"Of course," he tells her, still smiling slightly. "Well, not anymore, I suppose. But you did, once, and you still do. Though, I suppose it's been a while. A long while, but I've been anxious to see you, ever since we parted, oh so long ago."

Yeah, so not helping on the confusion here.

Caroline takes an unsteady step backwards.

"Okay," she lets out slowly, deciding to retreat back inside her house and at least get her phone. "Maybe I should call my mom..."

He doesn't recline that, as she thought he would, and he merely nods once.

"Of course," he tells her again, and then, "May I come in?"

Caroline twists around to stare at him incredulously because invite the strange inside her home? Her mother did raise her right, thank you, and she wasn't going to do that, and she tells him so.

"Invite the creepy stranger into my house, when he hasn't even told me his name, and who also shows up with a bajillion men who look as though they are after my blood? No thank you," she snips.

She watches as he laughs, his head tipping back in a loud chuckle that causes his chest to shake. He seems comes to terms with himself, not long after that, and he grins shaking his head. His eyes catch hers, and she's almost surprised at how familiar they look.

"You're just like your mother," he tells her, and he shakes his head, as though in reminiscent. "Though, I don't suppose I'm surprised. You looked just like her, even when you were first born. You always had her hair and her eyes, and I always suspected they'd stay. I can't say I'm disappointed that I was correct."

Caroline's eyes narrow, as she glares at him, and she takes a step towards him.

"That's awfully specific information to have on me, to say you'd just met me," she says slowly.

He's got a crooked smile on his lips, as his eyes echo back into hers.

"I'm not a stranger, Caroline," he reassures her. "Not in the least."

Her eyebrows furrow, as she tries to piece that together.

"Then, who are you?"

He smiles, and her lips press tightly together in response.

"I'm your father, Caroline."

And that's when Caroline's world turns upside down.

 **-/-**

Caroline is whisked away almost immediately, and she has to leave everything behind. Everything she's ever known. Her life in Mystic Falls, her friends, and even her mother, even though they talk regularly, but she's in a completely different country and skyping just isn't the same.

She finds she's quite a like her father, the King, and honestly, she's still not entirely use to saying that, at all. The thing what shocks her the most, however, is that she's a Princess now. Well, she was born one, technically, and by her father's words, he wanted to train her for her new role, wanted to show her how to act properly in public, to gain their favour.

Even if she didn't appreciate the way men in her new world automatically assumed that she owed them, and that she would want to talk to them, she found she quite liked being a princess. It came with a new found power, that she lacked before, and honestly, she's always liked being a little bossy, if she's honest with herself. At least it puts her in control.

The princess.

Her Royal Highness of Genovia.

So, fast forward seven months, and she's in regular princess lessons, with her father hovering every second to measure her process, and it doesn't take her long to realise where she got her need for control from. Seems she didn't take after her mother in that respect.

Maybe that's why she and her father got along so well. Though she was the spitting image of her mother, Caroline knew that, her personality was almost an exact replica of her father's, and that is what her maid's in the castle proclaimed would make her an excellent Queen one day.

Honestly, she's not sure how she feels about that.

However, she can't say that she got along with her father at the beginning. Quite the opposite at the beginning actually.

She rebelled against him, refused to conform to what he wanted, because though she knew she had to be here (even her mother had encouraged her to move here, claimed she had a responsibility to what would be her country one day), she hated him for dragging her away from everything that she knew. That she loved. So, she turned her nose up against everything that he offered, and she even made a few scenes here and there, at the balls that she was forced to go to.

That changed, eventually, when she realised that she would have to live with him until the day she died, as well as that, she didn't want to. She wanted to get to know her father, no matter if she held some resentment for the way he seemed to have dumped her and her mother for so long, and nobody wanted to give her any answers. Not even her mother, and that's all that Caroline wanted.

"Princess?"

Caroline plasters a smile on her face, as she spins around, to see her maids bowing down before her, and she frowns slightly.

"Gracie, what did we talk about?"

"No more courtesy," she sees Gracie's sister, Hope, mutter to her, and they both look up at her with hopeful glances.

"Never mind," Caroline grins, shaking her head. "What can I help you with?"

"The King requests that you meet him in the throne room," Hope tells her, shooting her a smile, and Caroline sighs heavily.

"Whatever for?" Caroline asks.

Gracie shrugs, her shoulders drooping.

"His Majesty did not say," Gracie tells her. "Though he did request that we prepare you for company."

In her father's words, that basically means that she should put on a big ball gown, and look pretty, because there were probably potential suitors waiting for her in that room.

"Of course," Caroline smiles, and she knows the innocence in her tone is fooling nobody. "Do I get to choose the dress?"

Gracie grins back at her.

She wasn't the only one in the castle with a rebellious streak.

-/-

Caroline thinks she barely gets away with what she does most days, if the way her father's clenched jaw and gritted teeth is any indication, but she can't help it. She enjoys pushing her limits, likes getting to know how far her father will let her push him, before he snaps at her.

She's got to admit, he's doing pretty damn well so far, and he hasn't so much as shot her an irritated glance.

He simply looks amused most days.

So, when he summons her, the dress she puts on, it isn't modest to say the least. It's a mermaid fit, and it hugs her body like a second skin. The red satin follows her every movement, and it gives her a supple amount of cleavage that she know will turn eyes. She knows she's hot, she's not blind, and Caroline has a feeling that the only thing that stops most people hitting on her is her father.

He's informed her time and time again that she will not marry anybody who is not royalty, because she needs to make their country stronger, not weaker, and though the command makes her seethe inside, she does understand the logistics of it. It makes sense, in his world, and she tries to see them from his point of view, that she will have to follow in his footsteps.

"Caroline."

She smiles at her father's voice as she walks into the throne room, after the formal calling of her name.

"Father," she greets, as he stands to welcome her, reaching for her arm, and pulling her alongside him.

She's surprised at the greeting, because he usually hugs her, quite tightly too, whenever she enters the room, no matter who is present, but he doesn't today. He shoots her a tight smile, as his arm presses against her back softly, as he guides her towards the table. Her head snaps to the side, when she finds they're not alone, as her maid's had informed her.

But it's not anybody that she recognises. In fact, she's quite sure she's never seen the men before seated at the table.

Caroline figures it's some lords of some sort.

"Caroline," her father tells her, "I'd like you to meek some people."

She makes sure she's smiling as her father walks around the room, because as he likes to inform her, she must always keep up appearances, because it's important, and she should always remain in control. That part she likes. She likes to be in control. She's good at it, even.

As she looks around the room, Caroline finds that a few of them look more refined than men who would travel to make deals with her father, and that gets her thinking that they have higher status, than the previous Lords that have entered the castle.

There's two men. One looks older, almost as though he was a father himself, with sandy hair and blue eyes, though they were sharp and deadly. The other one catches her attention, however. He looks younger, much younger. Caroline assumes that he's around her age. He looks alike the man on his left, with his blond hair and his blue eyes, though they are much softer. His lips are pulled into a smirk, and that's the only way Caroline can describe it because he looks smug, and there's dimples protruding on either side of his cheeks.

When she looks up, she manages to catch his eyes, and her cheeks burn when she realises why he looks so smug.

He clearly saw her ogling him, because she totally was.

What? He was hot, sue her, and it's not like she'd been able to get anybody since she'd moved to Genovia, to be at her father's side. Caroline's quite sure her father is to be blame for that, and who would hit on the princess anyway? Caroline was almost certain she was to remain pure because even if times had changed, it terms of royalty, they really hadn't changed all that much, and it was still all very patriarchal.

Did she mention she hates men, most of the time? Ugh.

His eyes don't leave hers, and she finds herself almost hypnotised by his stare.

His eyes were wide and open, and she catches a hint of pure honesty running through them, before she's suddenly jilted to the side, when her father's arm wraps around her waist, and she's pulled back into the present.

"Yes, father?" she asks, in the hopes that he was speaking directly to her, because in all honesty, she totally wasn't listening.

"Caroline," he repeats once more, and Caroline watches from the corner of her eye as the two men stand in front of her. "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Ansel, king of England."

Caroline twists, when she finds her hand in another's as Ansel reaches to press a soft, brief kiss to her knuckles.

"Caroline," Ansel smiles up at her when he lets her hand drop. "I have to admit it is a pleasure to see you again."

Caroline's eyebrows furrow.

"Again?"

She hears her father chuckle, and Ansel lets out one also.

"My apologies," Ansel says. "I do forget that you were too young to remember, the last time I saw you."

"Oh."

Which means that he was probably there shortly after she was born, because she knew her father took off not long after, taking his servants, and men with him. Honestly, she tries not to sound bitter about that, but it just comes out.

It was difficult after all, when her father shows up after years, and just demands that she be his heir. Even if they did get along.

Ansel's still smiling up at her, when she blinks.

"Nonetheless," Ansel murmurs. "It is a pleasure to see what a charming, beautiful young woman you have become. So much like your mother too."

Caroline thinks that's a compliment but the way he speaks, makes her think that it isn't. Still, she smiles, and bows slightly.

"Likewise," she murmurs.

Her eyes drift to Ansel's left, as he speaks to her father, and her eyes catch on to the man at his side once more, who shoots her a cheeky wink, which startles her. The power, and smugness radiating from him startles her, because he's probably the most confident man she's seen since she moved to the castle. Every other man she's come across seems to stumble like a blushing school boy at her feet.

It's almost a nice change.

Her eyes snap back to Ansel's once more, when he greets her.

"Oh, Caroline," he tells her suddenly, his eyes lighting up. "I'd like you to meet my son. Prince Niklaus."

She knew they were related, and she smiles when Niklaus steps forward to greet her himself.

"Princess," Niklaus greets, and honestly she's a little shocked at the accent that comes pooring out.

Yes, he was apparently the Prince of England, but Ansel was the King and he didn't have an accent. It's almost drool worthy, and she could swoon at his feet, when he dimples at her. Because, um, hello, british accents were incredible, and wow, maybe she did need to get laid.

He's still grinning, as he reaches for her hand, and she almost startles, when it raises goosebumps all along her spine, her eyes flicking up his in shock. Like his father, he presses a soft kiss to her knuckles, but it lingers, and she swears she can still feel his lips on her skin, even as he drops her hand. His blue eyes flash up to her face, in response, too.

Caroline takes a step backwards herself, and she lets herself drop into a courtesy.

"Prince, Niklaus," she murmurs. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

And honestly, she's not even lying, because he seems nice, charming even, and he had the looks to go with it. She could meet a lot worse potential suitors, and she knew that's what he was. She knew that's what she could feel her father barely breathing, his nerves echoing hers.

Prince Niklaus smirks up at her.

"Please," he says softly, as he closes the gap between them, "Call me Klaus. Just Klaus. There's no need for such formalities."

"Klaus," she breathes.

His smirk seems to widen if that's possible.

"And please, Princess. The pleasure is all mine."

Caroline's eyes narrow slightly at the innuendo, and she feels her father stiffen behind her. Outwardly, she smiles at him, and giggles slightly.

"Then I must insist you call me Caroline," she tells him in response.

"Caroline," he grins.

They're both brought back to the present when they hear a cough, and she takes an unsteady step backwards, her fathers arms clamping down on her shoulders to prevent her from falling before she can turn around. Caroline wasn't sure what she would find what she'd turn around, but her father looks happier than she's seen him. He looks almost smug, and her eyebrows push together at that.

"Caroline," her father murmurs. "Perhaps you could show Prince Niklaus to room that has been allocated? 296?"

They were staying at the castle? And how long has her father known about this? Why is she just now learning about this.

She must not say anything for a while, because Ansel and her father are smiling, though it looks slightly forced.

"My son and I will be staying for a few weeks, at the very least," Ansel tells her. "Your father and I have business to attend to, and we thought the two of you may get along, perhaps get to know each other some more, since our two realms are linked together, and you will see each other quite frequently in the future."

Honestly, Caroline's not sure if that's a threat or not, and she's not sure she likes his tone, but she smiles, nonetheless, and drops into a bow.

"Of course," she smiles.

Klaus is there when she turns around, peering down at her with blue, intense eyes and irresistible dimples.

"May we?" He requests.

He's awaiting for her, with his elbow outstretched, and she lets out a shaky breath as she steps forward, to tuck her arm into his, with an easy smile.

"We may."

She barely spares her father another look as they walk out of the room, and she can feel his eyes glaring a hole into her back, as she goes about showing Klaus around the castle, because as she finds out, it was his first time here. She has a gut feeling that there is more to this business meeting than her father is letting on, and she damn well intends to find out what it is.

Even if Klaus is easy to talk to, and they do get along.

For now anyway.

So, she can pretend to remain in ignorance. For now.

For now.


End file.
